The Best Little Maple Farm in Vermont

This past October my husband and I took a road trip to New England. We wanted to visit family and participate in the Mount Desert Island marathon and half marathon near Acadia National Park. But we also wanted to see the fall colors and experience life in the northeastern part of the country. 

While planning my itinerary, I scrolled along the roads of New England using google maps. I was delighted when I ran across reviews for Coutures October maple farm and bed and breakfast. Their website said they offered "a true Vermont farm Bed and Breakfast experience with an atmosphere of a small family farm with cows that might even wake you up in the morning!" and I was intrigued. This sounded like the singular experience I wanted.

Couture's is located along Vermont Route 100 in Westfield, Vermont, close to the Canadian border. Trails on the property wind through the woods and can be hiked in the summer and cross country skied in the winter. In addition, there is hiking, fishing, biking, canoeing and hunting nearby. It is close to Jay Peak Ski Resort, which is the reason they began the B&B because there was not enough accommodations in the area to meet demand.

If you want modern luxury and a fancy dancy atmosphere, this isn't the place for you. But if you want homey, warm and comfortable, this is it! Jacques and Pauline Couture began farming as teenage newlyweds in 1970, and their whole house, which dates back to 1892, is filled with family mementos. The queen size beds in the comfortable rooms are spread with home-made quilts. More quilts grace the walls and hang on quilt racks. Guests in the three rooms share a bathroom. There is a larger room that can accomodate a family of six that has its own bath.

Staying with the Coutures wasn't like staying at a bed and breakfast; it was like spending a night with your favorite aunt and uncle's house. The Coutures were warm and welcoming, and very proud of their maple products, their family, and their faith. They shared even more of their lives when they sat with us over a delicious homemade breakfast at the kitchen table. Of course, their own maple syrup was the star of the meal.

Staying with the Coutures is a great way to learn about farming in Vermont. The first thing the Coutures did when we arrived was sit us down for a video on the process of maple sugaring. Their brochure says that guests, young and old alike, are welcome to tour their barn, which houses cows, calves, chickens, and cats. In addition too a lot of different maple sugar products, there was a selection of their beef frozen and ready for sale in their shop. 

 We drove away with the warm feeling that we'd found family we didn't know we had, plus a box full of maple products to share with the family we already had. We would go back in a heartbeat.

 

Want to know more about the Coutures and their farm? Visit their website and online store. 

Jennifer Bohnhoff is a retired English and Social Studies teacher who now writes books for middle grade through adult readers. You can read more about her and her books here.